Spell Bound: Library Book Overdue

by Ru Emerson

When young Prince Conrad succumbs to the magical charms of the bewitching Sofia, only time will reveal if it is true love or the dark sorcery of evil

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Cinderella, Science Fiction

Paperback

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

aka Roberta Cray

Ru Emerson was born on December 15th, 1944 in Montana. She and her husband, Doug, live in Oregon with their only child, a silver mackerel tabby cat named Roberta. She likes to lift weights, run, bike, skate in-line, ski, play basketball, tennis, racquetball, garden, play guitar, scuba dive, and fly stunt kites. Her favorite reading material includes Megan Lindholm, science fiction by Larry Niven, murder mysteries by Patricia Cornwell, plus any other good historical non-fiction.

Reviews

[Christopher Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine for a light read, but it left me with no impression. There were some interesting moments, but more instances of things seeming to drag. I appreciated the new elements in the old Cinderella type of tale. I almost didn't read it at all because there's a "quote" from a magical text as an intro, only it spans more than a page so you don't know what you're looking at. Then there's a prologue. Then the story begins. It was more of an info-dump than I like, but it could have been worse. It's something of a peeve when things are spelled differently for no reason, and it's all magyk in this one. It's magic, there's nothing in the text to differentiate magyk from magic... Rather than add to immersion, I find it a distraction. It's really just the one term though, so again I've seen worse.
Give it a try if it falls into your lap, but I wouldn't recommend seeking it out unless you really love the Cinderella story.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fine retelling of Cinderella. While well written and perfectly pleasant, I was disappointed that it didn't really seem to do anything particularly creative or transformative with the story. If you like fairy tale retellings, this makes a good quick read with likable characters, but isn't particularly special.

[Sunni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in high school, but have since read it a number of times. The story of Cinderella will never get old to me, and this is much like the original only a little more in depth than the version most of us heard as children. I fell in love with both of the main characters, spent my time wanting nothing but the best to work out for them, and was so thrilled when like every good story it had a happy ending. Well worth reading!

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, in a German kingdom that never existed, a king and his men found a count's son and villagers dealing with a witch. He refused to let the woman just burn to death in her burning hut, but had her dragged out and officially condemned and then burnt -- which is when they learned that is was actually her daughter Ilse who had done what had alerted them. She curses three of them, one the king, to die.

Another one was his Armsmaster, leaving his daughter, Sofia, orphaned with a stepmother and two stepsisters. Her stepmother drags her back from court, where she was one of the Queen's ladies, on the excuse that she's in mourning, but she offers to send her own daughters instead.

Meanwhile, the queen sends for the prince, Conrad, who was in France at the time. By the terms of his father's will, he must marry a woman from his own kingdom. So they stage a ball -- and Sofia's stepmother will not let her go -- and Ilse comes to offer to help. . . .

The rest of it involves roses, fire, accusations of witchcraft, a sorcerer's attempts to ingratiate himself with the prince, the queen's match-making, dreams, traps, and much more.

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent fairytale-retelling novel from a really good author. The decision to retell Cinderella and make the fairy godmother the villain makes it different from any other version anyone else has done. Cinderella has always been my favorite fairytale (with Sleeping Beauty and Snow White not far behind) and this is the best novelization I've read.

[Arlene Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another riff on Cinderella. I am sorry she didn't write more.

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I read this awhile ago, I still remember liking it and not being able to put it down. Check it out.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I read this book. I need to reread it.